Goblet of Fire Rewrite
by Hillary Izzy Blair
Summary: What if Harry had a little sister? How Goblet of Fire would have changed...
1. Back to the Burrow

**Please read Prisoner of Azkaban: Rewrite first!**

Lucy looked down excitedly at her school trunk. It was nearing the end of July and she'd already been to Diagon Alley with Bob and Carole to get her second year school books. On top of all her things, lay the pile of letters she'd received from Harry and Sirius. She'd kept in close correspondence with both in order to 'bring them all together' a bit better. And now Lucy was going to Ron's place for the remainder of the summer. She had been invited, along with Harry and Hermione, to go to the Quidditch World Cup with the Weasley family. She was excited to see them all again and to see her favourite team play.

Lucy had been raised in the wizarding world and had grown up playing and watching Quidditch. Her team was Bulgaria and her player was Viktor Krum. Bob had tried numerous times to get them tickets that her and her adoptive sister Marissa could go see. Marissa had also been adopted by Carole and Bob when she had been 3. She was four years older than Lucy but didn't go to Hogwarts on account of being a Squib. Bob, Carole, Lucy and the Harrington's only biological daughter, Kate didn't care what she was. Apparently her real parents had because they hadn't wanted her anymore when they found out. Kate was 7 and didn't have the patience for Quidditch.

"Lucy! Time to go!" Carole called. Lucy hoisted her trunk downstairs and into the kitchen. "Your dad is going to take you by Floo Powder," she said.

"Thanks for letting me go; I'll see you at Christmas." Lucy hugged Carole and kissed her on the cheek. She dragged her trunk into the living room where Bob was waiting for her.

"Hey, all set?" He asked. Bob had gray hair already, was starting to wrinkle, was tall and had a hearty laugh. Lucy nodded and he grabbed her suitcase. "So this place is called The Burrow?" He asked.

"Yeah, do you want me to go first?" She asked. Bob shook his head, hauling the trunk under the hearth in front of him. "As long as you come right after me, okay?" He took a handful of Floo Powder, scattered it around the fireplace and shouted 'the Burrow' loud and clear. In a burst of green flame, he was gone, leaving Lucy in the room by herself. She looked around, making sure she hadn't forgotten anything lying about. When she realized everything was in her trunk, she followed Bob's path to the Burrow.

When the suffocating sensation of travelling by fireplaces passed, Lucy found herself in a living-room quite unlike her own. Back home, the room was hardwood with an area rug in the centre from the family's trip to Morocco. There were two chairs and a sofa, all black, and a coffee table in the middle. This room was cozy and comfy. The floor was carpeted and the walls were a nice red colour. There was an assortment of couches and love seats each with different coloured patches and all of them worn down. Lucy immediately loved it.

She stepped out of the fireplace and followed a voice out into a kitchen that was busy with activity. Dishes were cleaning themselves, soup was bubbling on the stove, and several people were sitting at the large table talking. Ron and Ginny were still eating breakfast, both of them bleary-eyed and half asleep. Who Lucy could only assume was Mrs. Weasley, was talking to Bob about the Quidditch plans and discussing Mr. Weasley's job at the Ministry. Bob worked there as well in the Magical Law Enforcement Squad. There were two other young men lounging in the kitchen that Lucy didn't recognize.

"Hey, Luce, c'mere!" Ron got up from his chair and gave Lucy a hug.

"Hello Ron, how was your summer?" She asked. Ron gestured for her to join them at the table.

"Pretty good, but the best is yet to come," he smiled knowingly. "Oh, you haven't met my two brothers have you?" he asked. Lucy shook her head. "Well that's Bill and Charlie. Bill works at Gringott's as a curse-breaker. He used to work in Egypt but he wanted to be closer to home. Charlie works in Romania but he's back for the summer. He works with Dragons mostly, but has experience with other creatures." He explained.

"That's really cool," Lucy commented. She waited for Ron to finish his toast and then they resumed their talk about the summer so far. They were interrupted by Bob tapping Lucy on the shoulder.

"I'm off now, Lucy Lu, be good," He leaned down and kissed her on the cheek. He turned to face Mrs. Weasley. "It was nice to meet you, I know Lucy's in good hands here. Talk to you later," He shook her hand.

"Of course, thanks for letting her stay," Mrs. Weasley said happily. Bob let himself out the front door and apparated back home. Mrs. Weasley turned to Lucy, Ron, and Ginny. "So, Lucy, we are very happy you can stay this summer. Who would have guessed that Harry had a little sister?" She laughed and Lucy smiled politely. "You'll be staying with Ginny and Hermione in Ginny's room. She'll show you where it is. If there is anything you need, don't hesitate to ask." Ginny stood up and helped Lucy carry her stuff into her room.

"Your mom is really nice," Lucy started but Ginny cut her off.

"You'll sleep on the cot; the bathroom is down the hall. Now, I'm going to go for a walk." She said shortly, hurriedly leaving the room. Lucy was surprised. All this time she had thought Ginny was nice and sweet. Maybe she was just fed up with living with the boys for the summer. Either way, Lucy would be glad when Harry got there.

It was just after lunch when Hermione arrived with Mr. Weasley. He had gone to get her from her Muggle home and it had taken longer than Mrs. Weasley had anticipated.

"No doubt Arthur is mucking around with everything he sees in the house." She said, rolling her eyes. When Molly's husband and their guest finally arrived, Hermione was still looking restless and Arthur was ecstatic.

"You wouldn't believe what was in their house, Molly!" He started to say. Molly cut him off.

"Welcome Hermione, come on in, we'll get you settled in Ginny's room." She helped Hermione carry her trunk, leaving Arthur to stop mid-sentence about the lamps in the Granger home. Lucy followed the girls to Ginny's room where Ginny had returned from her walk and was taping some new posters on the walls. She and Hermione greeted each other happily, leaving Lucy out of the loop. She couldn't wait for Harry to get there.

Ginny asked Hermione about her summer which launched Hermione into a detailed narrative of her vacation in Germany where she went to numerous historical statues and whatnot. It was rather boring but Lucy sat on her cot, leaning forward, elbows resting on her knees, while she listened politely to something called the Holocaust. Ginny was intrigued – or she acted like it – and she asked questions to keep Hermione on her spiel. Eventually, the two-week trip finished and Ron came knocking on the door.

"Do you girls want to do something? I'm bored," he asked. Lucy perked up at the thought of having something to do but Ginny had other ideas.

"Go away, we're talking. Why don't you ask Percy to play Chess with you or something?" she said rudely. She waved Ron off with an annoyed hand. Ron scowled at her.

"If I wanted to play Chess with anybody it wouldn't be Percy, I'd rather murder myself several times!" And even though he still didn't have anything to do, Ron left. Lucy endured ten more minutes of giggly 'girl talk' before giving up on looking happy. She excused herself to go to the bathroom and instead went in search of Ron.

The house was like a maze. Her first stop in the hunt for Ron was the kitchen. Mrs. Weasley was preparing a roast for dinner while brooms, mops, and rags were cleaning any surfaces they could get at. Mrs. Weasley greeted her warmly and asked what she needed.

"Oh, I'm fine; I was just going to look at the rest of your house. It's really nice here. I wish I lived here," Mrs. Weasley laughed at this last comment.

"I'm sure your house is just as nice and probably a lot cleaner. But you and your brother have similar tastes in houses. I think this is his second home, Hogwarts being his first. His Aunt and Uncles house hardly counts for anything." Mrs. Weasley resumed her cooking.

She found the twin's bedroom first. The bottom of the door was slightly burnt as if a number of explosions had tried to extend beyond the rooms four walls.

Lucy knocked on their door, hoping that maybe Ron had found company with the jokesters. Fred, or maybe it was George, opened the window a crack as if hiding something from prying eyes. When he noticed it was Lucy, the door was swung open wider and Lucy saw the other twin fiddling around with some potions and candies.

"Nosebleed Nougats," George, or maybe it was Fred, explained. "We're making them for our joke shop. We've successfully created Ton-Tongue Toffees and Puking Pastilles are next on the list. You should try one, be our guinea pig." He enticed, smiling wickedly. Lucy shook her head nervously. "Then what can we do you for? Want to place a bet on the World Cup? Or how about a chance to help us with a prank on Percy the Prick next door?" Lucy couldn't help but laugh.

"No thanks, maybe later. Have you seen Ron?" She asked. The twins shook their heads. "Oh, okay, thanks anyway. I'll be back to place my bets soon," she smiled as she shut the singed door carefully. She skipped any other rooms until she got to the top floor. Lucy knew Ron had the attic room and this had to be it. The door was slightly ajar and she pushed it open.

Ron's room was bright and stuffy. He had a bed and a cot for when Harry got there, a dresser, his trunk which lay open and empty, and a bird cage sans owl. At first, Lucy thought the walls were painted orange but with a second glance, realized they were in fact covered with Chudley Cannon posters. Ron was standing by the window, watching gnomes run wild in the garden below. Lucy knocked lightly on the door. Ron jumped and turned around. When he saw that it was Lucy, he relaxed and headed over to the door.

"Hey, what's going on? Is there food downstairs?" He asked, craning his neck around the doorway as if he would be able to see the food from the top of the house. Lucy shook her head.

"I was bored. I'm never bored when I'm with Harry, and you two are best friends, so I figured I would never be bored with you. At least not as bored as I was downstairs." She admitted. Ron let her into his room and lay on the bed, tossing a plush Quaffle into the air and catching it. Lucy sat on the cot that would soon be Harry's for the summer.

"We could play Quidditch. Fred and George would play, so would Charlie and maybe Bill." Ron suggested. The World Cup was obviously on his mind. "Oh, wait – you hate Quidditch!" Ron remembered her disapproving looks from the year before whenever it came up.

"I don't hate it! If I did, I wouldn't be here to go see the World Cup with you." She replied cheekily. "I just don't like playing it." It was true; in fact, that she used to play with some people up the street from the Harrington's, but she was never invited back after they found out her sister was a squib. Lucy realized that she probably didn't like the sport because of this experience of childhood exclusion.

"Oh, sorry, I jumped to conclusions, I guess," Ron said. Lucy continued to stare around the room, taking in the Chudley Cannon posters and mess with a sense of familiarity. Her room at Bob and Carole's was similar; it was always a mess and she had various Viktor Krum posters on her walls as well. She was just about to ask who Ron would be cheering for when an owl zoomed through the open window. The bird was small and could easily fit into Lucy's palm. It twittered madly, flapping about the room so Ron couldn't get the letter that was attached to it.

When he finally managed to grab the envelope, the bird flew back out the window for no reason other than to continue flying. Ron glanced at the return address and couldn't suppress a grin. "It's from Harry!" He said, showing it to Lucy. She climbed off the cot and joined Ron in the middle of the room, looking over his shoulder at Harry's message.

"Sunday? That's tomorrow," Lucy said, catching on. "He's coming tomorrow?" She asked. Ron nodded. Lucy smiled the smile that Sirius loved and Ron couldn't help but laugh.

"I better go tell Mum and Dad," he said. Lucy followed him down the stairs to the living room where Mr. Weasley was listening intently to the wireless. "We're going to get Harry tomorrow at 5," Ron announced. Mr. Weasley nodded and smiled.

"It'll be great to see him," he responded. _You can say that again_, Lucy thought.

The next day at a quarter to five, Mr. Weasley, Ron, Fred, and George all piled into the living room to Floo to 4 Privet Dr. Hermione and Ginny stayed in Ginny's room to wait while Lucy stayed in the kitchen with Mrs. Weasley. It was an agonizing wait.

"I do hope they're alright." Mrs. Weasley said, absentmindedly cutting some sprouts. "It shouldn't take this long," Lucy glanced nervously at the doorway to the living room, hoping Harry would magically appear there any second. She agreed with Mrs. Weasley. It had taken Lucy five minutes to get her stuff organized and Floo to the Burrow. This had been at least 15 minutes. Suddenly, there was a tiny pop from the fireplace. Ron emerged, covered in soot.

"I'm back!" He called out to a seemingly empty house. Lucy walked into the living room and helped brush him off. Mrs. Weasley had headed upstairs instead of waiting in the kitchen. "He's on his way, Luce," Ron said excitedly. He knew how anxious she was to see him. It had been a long time since school ended. Letters hadn't been enough. Seconds later, another pop sounded and a boy with messy black hair and glasses stepped out of the fireplace.

Lucy grabbed him in a hug before he had time to realize what was happening. He straightened his glasses and hugged her back.

"Finally!" Lucy exclaimed. "What took so long?" she asked. Ron and Harry exchanged a look of amusement.

"You'll find out soon enough." Harry said, dusting himself off. "Fred and George made the visit one to remember, that's for sure," he said as Fred, and then George popped into existence. The twins emerged, shaking like dogs to get the soot out of their vivid red hair.

"Ton-tongue Toffee," was all Fred, or maybe it was George, said. "Good thing you didn't try one Luce."

**Please review and be harsh if you need to! Thanks to Bri. P for calling Lucy 'cute', that means a lot!**


	2. Quidditch World Cup

Fred and George filled them in quickly on what had gone down at the Dursley's before Mr. Weasley came back to scold them. The twins took this discipline lightly. It was all a good joke, no one had been hurt. Lucy found it immensely funny as did Ron and Harry. It was good to laugh again after the stressful year and the uneventful summer. She was glad Harry was here to take her mind off the less-than-welcoming idea of spending more time with Ginny and Hermione being 'girly.' Lucy figured it was because they were older. She hoped she was never like that. She wanted to be adventurous and fun her whole life. She joined the boys in Ron's room where Harry settled down on the cot, Ron on his bed, and Lucy on the rug in the middle of the room. This was home.

The rest of the week before the Quidditch World Cup was devoted to as much Quidditch as possible. When Lucy woke up, Ginny and Hermione were already in the kitchen eating breakfast. Harry and Ron were down within minutes. They took turns playing Quidditch with Fred, George, Bill and Charlie. Percy was still locked up in his room going over reports for the Ministry and yelling at them from the window to stop throwing the Quaffle at the house. At which point, Fred and George smirked and continued to overthrow the red ball. Lucy didn't join the games but the dinner and after-dinner discussions of strategies, players, and bets were her forte. Bob had saved records of every score and players' rankings for the season. She was glad she could join in the fun without getting on a broom. She discovered that Harry, although an amazing Seeker, was no good with the trivia. If she wanted a decent talk, she would have to turn to Bill, Charlie, or Ron. They were the real experts on this type of stuff.

The night before, Mr. Weasley showed them all the tickets and what seats they would be getting. It made Lucy even more excited to find out they were sitting in the Minister's box. These were top seats where they would be able to see all the action. It was difficult to fall asleep that night. She listened to the sounds of Ginny and Hermione's deep breathing, the rhythmic ticking of the clock, and the sound of crickets chirping outside in the summer air. She stayed awake a while longer, but she fell asleep soon. All for the better, she would need to be awake the next morning. It was an early start.

That morning, Ron and Harry were two of the last ones down from their room. It was clear that they had stayed up late talking and that neither of them had been able to succumb to sleep like Lucy had. Mr. Weasley was rushing around the kitchen trying to get everything organized for the trip. "We already have a tent down there, from my colleague, Perkins." He announced to no one in particular. He was also wearing the most absurd get-up. It must have been his attempt at Muggle clothing. "You'll all have to avoid your robes." He told them all as they sat down to Molly's eggs, bacon, kipper, and toast. Lucy had packed some as per Bob's advice. It was good to have a dad like him who knew almost everything. He was like a walking library to Lucy.

Breakfast was fast as the group was already running a little late. Lucy assumed they were taking a port-key, a seemingly ordinary object that would transport them to the venue of the Cup. She got changed into jeans, a yellow t-shirt, and a black hoodie with the maroon Snitch of the Bulgarian team emblazoned on the front. It only fuelled her excitement. She quickly brushed and braided her long red hair into two braids down her back. She met Hermione and Harry in the kitchen while they waited for the Weasley family to assemble themselves. Bill, Charlie, and Percy would be meeting them at the site at around lunchtime seeing as all three of them could apparate. Lucy wished she could. It probably beat taking a port-key which was both strange and uncomfortable. At least they weren't taking Floo powder.

"Alright, our voyage begins… now!" Mr. Weasley said, and he led the pack of students out of the kitchen and into the yard. Lucy stifled a yawn as Ron asked where exactly they were going. Mr. Weasley shrugged. "We'll be meeting Amos and Cedric Diggory up on that hill over there." He answered. They were all glad the sun wasn't quite up yet because the walk was long and tedious. Having the sun beating down on them would have made it much worse.

By the time they reached the top of the hill Mr. Weasley had pointed to, all of them were tired and sweaty. Lucy sat down on the grass because she was so tired. Fred and George joined her on the uneven ground, using their backpacks as pillows. They weren't allowed to rest for long. Amos Diggory, a round-faced and jovial man, appeared suddenly with his son, Cedric. Cedric was tall and lean. He was a seventh year Hufflepuff and he played for their Quidditch team. Lucy thought he was very good-looking, finding she wasn't alone when Ginny and Hermione both smiled sweetly at him.

"Shall we be off then? The port-key is set to leave in just a few moments." Amos explained, walking over to a patch of dead grass. Lucy hadn't noticed it before because it had blended in with the dying vegetation, but a worn-out brown boot laid forgotten and glowing blue. "Quickly now," he said, waving them all over. Lucy put her finger on the heel of the boot. She waited for the rest to join in and noticed that Harry wasn't anywhere close to the brilliant blue boot. It was going to leave any second.

"Harry!" She cried, as she felt something tug at her stomach and pull her away. The countryside whizzed around her, melting into green and brown swirls. And as suddenly as it had started, Lucy felt her feet land on solid ground. She collapsed, not being used to traveling by port-key at all. She wasn't the only one who had fallen over. Even Fred and George were helping each other up and dusting each other off. Lucy was glad to see that Harry had gotten hold of the boot in time. He was now rubbing a sore spot on his leg.

Mr. Weasley counted heads to make sure everyone was accounted for and then set off into the crowd. Lucy saw some amazing things on the way to their tents. The Irish supporters were waving green streamers and juggling green bowling pins. Their tents were covered with tiny shamrocks. She saw Seamus Finnegan, a boy from Harry's year, with his mother outside of their own unrecognizable hovel. The Bulgarians were equally intense fans. They were selling miniature figures of the team members and yelling out Viktor Krum's name to loud cheers. She could hardly take it all in before they had arrived at the campsite.

There were two tents, one for the boys and a smaller one for the girls. Lucy followed Hermione and Ginny into their tent. She wasn't surprised to see that it was larger than the outside made it to be. Bob and Carole used to have a tent just like this one for when they went camping. Quickly, she dumped her things on to a bed, claiming it as her own. She rushed out to go next door.

"Having fun yet, Luce?" George asked, coming up behind her after depositing his own stuff onto a couch. She nodded and smiled. "You just wait until tonight. It will be the most intense game of Quidditch you will ever see. It's gonna be crazy!" He exclaimed, walking out of the tent for some fresh air. She knew it would be. She would be surprised if it wasn't. She looked down at her sweater and smiled to herself. This was the best summer holiday she'd ever had, and it had hardly even started.

Lucy sat in the stands, right up at the top in the Ministry's box. Ron on one side of her and Fred on the other, both of them decked out in Bulgarian hats and Irish rosettes. Harry had bought Ron a pair of Omnioculars and he was staring intently out at the pitch through them, his mouth hanging slightly open. Lucy hadn't spent her money on one; instead, buying a couple Viktor Krum posters, a small figurine of him and Barry Ryan, the Irish Keeper that Lucy would only admit to herself that she had a slight crush on. She flipped through Fred's programme before the game began, saving her cheering for when the players came out.

First, the Bulgarian Veelas came out and danced for the audience. Lucy noticed Ron and Fred staring avidly down at them and she gave them both a sharp nudge with her elbow. Fred snapped out of it quickly, averting his gaze somewhere else with his cheeks burning red. Ron took some convincing from Hermione to calm down. Harry had attempted to jump down from the Ministry's box and it was lucky that Hermione had pulled him back before he got much farther than the ledge. They were good dancers, but Lucy wasn't impressed and she could tell that Hermione and Ginny weren't either. Seconds after the Veela had taken a seat on the sidelines, and then the Irish team mascots were zipping through the air. They came in one big blur forming the shape of a comet. Lucy was instantly mesmerized by the green and silver of the Leprechauns. A shower of gold coins fell from the sky and the four youngest Weasley's scrambled to collect as much as they could. Harry and Hermione stuffed a few coins in their pockets but Lucy was already searching the sky for the players. A tumultuous applause broke out before she could see anyone.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, please welcome this year's Quidditch World Cup players!" Ludo Bagman announced to the stadium. He called out their names as the players rode quick as lightning around the pitch. Lucy recognized Ludo Bagman from Bob's Quidditch Program. He was a beater on the Wimblebourne Wasps and Bob had always said he was overly confident in himself. Thinking she was about to go deaf from the sound of the roaring crowd, Lucy caught sight of Viktor Krum. She saw Ron point him out from the corner of her eye. She could have died right then and been happy. She would have died satisfied with life.

After the game, Lucy clung tightly to Harry's hand as they were pushed through the throng of wizards and witches. The Bulgarian fans had stuck around in the stadium, crying out for a rematch even though none was necessary. The Irish supporters were jumping and skipping and just generally making a racket. By the time the Weasley's and co. got back to their tents, their hats were askew, the bottom of Ginny's robes had ripped, and Charlie and Bill had made a detour to get a mug of Firewhiskey. The remainder of their drinks was immediately confiscated by Mr. Weasley who dumped it into the bushes by the campsite.

The girls were allowed to stay in the boys' tent and talk as late as they wanted. There wasn't as early a rise as there had been that morning, so Mr. Weasley wasn't too concerned about their sleep. Lucy told herself that she would stay up all night with them but she found her eyelids drooping and soon she had fallen asleep, leaning against Harry for support.

She wasn't sure if it was two hours or two minutes later, but she was soon being shaken awake by Harry. The other Weasley's were rushing around the tent, grabbing what they needed. People were screaming and shouting outside. Every now and then, a person would run straight into their tent. Lucy rubbed sleep from her eyes and stood up. She was still wearing her shoes which were probably a good thing. It appeared as if they were preparing to leave. "What's going on?" She asked to the room at large. Harry handed her the birch wand that was her own.

"We have to leave. Stay with me the whole time." He told her. She would have liked to ask more questions, but since the situation was urgent, she agreed that there wasn't time for specifics. Instead, she grabbed her cloak and fastened it on.

"Is everyone ready? Fred and George, Ginny stays with you. Harry, you'll take Lucy. Don't let them out of your sight. Go to the woods and stay there! Charlie, Bill, Percy, and I are staying to help. Keep safe." Mr. Weasley ordered, sending them out into the night air. It was surprisingly chilly for a July night. Immediately Lucy saw why people were screaming and running. A group of wizards wearing masks and black robes were striding through the camp site. A family of four were suspended in the air above them. Lucy had no idea who these wizards were but she knew they were evil.

"Lucy, c'mon!" Harry yelled, grabbing her sleeve and pulling her along. She tried to keep up with the group but she kept tripping on the forgotten possessions of others. And once they were in the forest, she tripped on tree roots and the hem of her robes. They passed by a number of people that Lucy recognized from school. Everyone seemed to be heading deeper into the forest and Lucy thought back to the four people hanging in mid-air above the masked figures. She shuddered, trying not to imagine herself as one of the people.

Suddenly, a large crowd of people came pushing through them on their attempt to get away from the horrific scene. Before she could get separated from the group, she grabbed hold of George's robes and didn't let go until they had made their way off the beaten path and into a more secluded area.

"Lumos," George muttered, his wand-tip illuminating them. Lucy looked around at where they were. She could still hear people and could see little lights bobbing along 20 feet away from them. When she turned to ask her brother what was happening again, she found that they were missing three people from their party. Ron, Harry, and Hermione were nowhere to be seen. Only Ginny, the twins, and Lucy were left. "Where'd they go?" George asked, craning his neck to see into the trees. It was too dark to tell if anyone was there and so they decided to stay where they were until it was safe to leave.

"They can't have gone too far." Ginny decided. She didn't sound too worried and so Lucy tried to relax. She felt Fred put an arm around her shoulder.

"It's fine, Luce. We'll see them back at the tent soon enough." He said. She nodded, realizing that he was right. She didn't think about the bad things that could be happening to her brother and his friends. She impressed herself with the ability to exclude those thoughts from her mind. Unfortunately, the only thing that was staying stubbornly put was the image of the masked wizards and their captives.

After what felt like 3 days of simply standing with the three Weasley's, it finally seemed calm enough to start heading back to the campsite. Fred and George led the way and it surprised Lucy to find they didn't get lost once. The sight of Perkins' old tent was one of glory. It wasn't ripped or burned like some of the other tents. In fact, upon entering, it appeared as if nothing had been touched. Charlie was the only habitant and he sat at the table eating toast.

"Hey, where are the others?" He asked when he noticed three of his group were gone. Fred shrugged.

"We got divided in the forest. They should be back soon though." He sat down across from Charlie and stole a piece of toast. Charlie didn't complain.

"You girls should get some rest. We'll be leaving once dad gets back from his Ministry duties. You can stay here if you want." Charlie offered. Lucy didn't change out of her robes but she took off her shoes and climbed into Harry's bed. He was probably into some sort of mischief as he usually was. Ginny didn't bother going to bed. She sat on the couch next to George and tried to get information from Charlie about what had happened. Lucy didn't care much right then. She'd get the story sooner or later, but right now, she was exhausted. It had been too much adventure for one night.


	3. Aboard the Hogwart's Express

The next morning, Lucy woke up to the smell of toast and the sound of shuffling feet. She opened her eyes to see that everyone was awake and beginning to pack up.

"Rise and shine, Luce," Ron said, tossing her the backpack she had brought. She went next door to get dressed in the girls' tent. The campsite had been completely trashed. People were already heading towards the portkeys. Tents were charred and the grass was completely black. It looked as if a party had gotten out of control, but it was much worse. Hermione and Ginny were silent as they all packed up the tent. Lucy was wearing Muggle clothes again; jeans and a green t-shirt.

"Do we have everyone?" Mr. Weasley asked, counting heads. Bill, Charlie, and Percy had all agreed to stay and help the Ministry, so only 8 of them began the tiresome trek up the hill to their portkey. Amos and Cedric were waiting for them.

"I'm going to send Cedric back with you. I have to stay and help out here for a while longer. Those Muggle's need their memories modified." Amos explained. Mr. Weasley nodded curtly and they all took their place around an old rubber tire that would take them home. It turned blue and Lucy felt the pull in her stomach. Hermione screamed as they landed back in the meadow over-looking St. Ottery Catchpole. 

"You'll be alright getting home?" Mr. Weasley asked, clapping a hand on Cedric's shoulder.

"Yes, thank you sir." Cedric replied politely, turning to head back to his own home. In silence, the Weasley's and co. headed back to the Burrow. Lucy had to practically jog to keep up with them. Everyone's legs were much longer than hers and they were all trying to get home as fast as possible. Even Mr. Weasley was nervously glancing around to watch for trouble. Lucy had been able to keep quiet about her curiosity until now. She walked in between Harry and Hermione and interrupted the silence with a question.

"Harry, where'd you go last night?" She asked shyly. Harry looked down at her as the Burrow came into view.

"We just… got separated from you." He met Hermione's eye and gave her a look. Lucy was observant, though. She frowned at him.

"Harry, I'm not stupid. What happened? Who were those people and what were they doing?" She continued to badger him. If Harry was stubborn, Lucy was more stubborn. He sighed quietly.

"It's none of your business, Lucy. Those people were bad and they were doing bad things. End of story." But Lucy knew it wasn't the end of the story. It wasn't even the beginning hardly. Obviously those hooded figures weren't 'good.' Harry tried to quicken his pace. He didn't want to tell Lucy what had gone on. It would scare her and make her worried about him. He'd lived through enough of her worry last year. He also couldn't wait to crash on the cot in Ron's room. They hadn't slept much the night before.

As the Weasley's entered the Burrow through the kitchen door, Mrs. Weasley hurried in and gave them all huge hugs and wet kisses. She had breakfast laid out for them on the table; bacon, eggs, toast, porridge, and cereal. It made Lucy's mouth water. She hadn't realized how hungry she was until then. Mrs. Weasley broke into tears when she told her husband how worried she'd been and she was glad they were alright. It made Lucy wonder if her mom would have been that way in this situation. She knew Carole would be in a right state about it, but would Lily? She wasn't sure why she was thinking about that, so she tried pushing that thought away. There hadn't been much time for that kind of thinking the year before. It was only now that the idea of having real parents was sinking in.

"Pass the butter, Lucy." Ron said, sitting down opposite her. She snapped to attention and handed it to him. Fred and George were stuffing their faces beside Lucy even though Mrs. Weasley was still sobbing about their safety. Harry and Hermione sat down but neither of them ate very much. Lucy had a bowl of porridge but found she was still too curious about the events of last night to really eat anything more. There was one point in their eating, when nearly everyone had finished and Mrs. Weasley wasn't crying anymore but still looking fondly at her family, that Mr. Weasley mentioned going to Diagon Alley to get their school things.

"Why don't we go tomorrow?" Fred asked, pushing his empty plate away from him. Mrs. Weasley gasped and shook her head.

"I want all you kids staying here until school starts. What if there are more 'incidents?'" She looked at her husband for support even though the rest of the table was complaining. Ron stated loudly that it was 'tradition' for them all to go together. Mr. Weasley fought against himself on what to say.

"Your mother's right. We don't know if it's safe. Besides, I have to get going back to the Stadium. They'll be waiting for me, I expect." He stood up and kissed the top of Molly's head. They all waved goodbye, slightly disappointed that they would be stuck in the house for the rest of the summer. Lucy didn't mind so much. There was more time to badger the others about the World Cup.

"I guess I'll go tomorrow and get everything." Molly said absently, standing up to clear the table. "I'll leave Bill in charge of you lot. I can't say I still trust you." She glared pointedly at Fred and George who exchanged smirks. Ron sighed loudly, folding his arms across his chest and avoided his mother's gaze. The three 14 year olds didn't stay long at the table after that. They all hurried upstairs, presumably to Ron's attic bedroom, while the other four slowly got up and went in search of something to do. The weather was fine but no one was in the mood to go outside and have Mrs. Weasley shout at them. Lucy thanked Molly for breakfast and headed to Ginny's room. The older girl wasn't there which seemed to be a small blessing. Although wrought with the desire to eavesdrop on her brother's conversation with his friends (which undoubtedly involved an explanation of the Quidditch World Cup), she was extremely exhausted still.

With Ginny somewhere else, Lucy was allowed a couple more hours of sleep without being disturbed. Her dreams were vivid yet short. She kept seeing a great green skull with a snake coming out of its unhinged jaw. The skull would shimmer and then transform into the shape of an elaborate goblet. The image seemed to burn itself into Lucy's eyelids. When she woke up, she could almost see it on the ceiling. She sat up, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. She didn't know what time it was or if Harry, Ron, and Hermione would still be upstairs. Either way, she wasn't going to shut herself in her room all day.

As she opened the door, Hermione was just coming down the stairs.

"Harry and Ron are going to play Wizard's Chess in the living room if you want to watch." She said when she saw Lucy. The red-head nodded. Without any real craving to watch magical chess pieces destroy each other, Lucy followed Hermione to the kitchen instead.

"What happened last night? Harry knows and he told you." It was a statement more than a question. There was no doubt in Lucy's mind that Harry had ended up in the thick of things and if, by some infinitesimal chance, Ron and Hermione had not been present during it, Harry would have told them the moment he had the chance. She had seen how they worked last year. Harry trusted them with any and all information or hunches he had. It would be a rare occasion if he decided not to worry them with theories.

"Lucy, I think you're going to have to ask Harry about that. He's the one that should tell you, not me." Hermione grimaced. She felt bad not telling Lucy anything, but it really was Harry's place to answer her questions. Lucy tried to hide her anger, but she wasn't sure it worked. Hermione quickly left the kitchen and Lucy sat down hard in a chair. She didn't like to admit it, but she was fuming. She had managed to get through last year on less information than none. This year should be different, she thought.

_There's no point in asking Harry again, _she decided. He would only tell her that she was too young to know. He could besmirch Ron and Hermione's happy-go-lucky lives with horrible traumas, but he had to valiantly attempt to give Lucy a peaceful childhood. She'd faced the same trials as he had the previous year. If he hadn't learned by now that she deserved to know things, then he probably never would. Her last chance was asking Ron and she had to do it without Harry knowing. They were best mates, Harry and Ron. Lucy would have to be tactful if she wanted information.

The rest of the holidays passed by drearily and uneventfully. Lucy spent her days following her brother and his friends but they were sneaky enough to evade her. Mr. Weasley was away most days, trying to cover things up about the Quidditch World Cup and sort everything out. When he was home, Mrs. Weasley had forbidden him to discuss the careful situation they were in, in front of others. It was with a heavy regret for not cornering Ron before now, that Lucy heaved her school trunk into the Ministry car that had come to take them to King's Cross on the first of September. The cars were a precaution. They were there to protect Harry after what had happened that night. It worried Lucy a little more to think that he was in danger yet again.

By the time they finally arrived in London and they'd all gotten onto Platform 9 and 3/4, it was nearing 11 o'clock.

"You'd better get on quickly now!" Mrs. Weasley said hurriedly, giving everyone a hug and kiss at random. Fred and George got on first, off in search of their friend, Lee Jordan. Lucy had half a mind to follow them. They'd been letting her view their latest 'merchandise' all summer and she was sure they would have a warmer welcome than Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Coming, Luce?" Hermione asked before she could duck away and follow the flaming red hair of the twins. Lucy nodded, wondering if they would discuss the strange goings-on that had occurred since she'd been at the Burrow. Harry helped her get her trunk onto the train and they found one empty compartment towards the end of the Hogwarts Express. They had barely sat down when the train lurched into movement. Lucy was finally going back to Hogwarts. Ron and Harry sat across from the girls. They bought treats to last them the whole way there when the trolley came by and for a while, Lucy forgot about interrogating Ron.

"We're out of Chocolate Frogs." Harry said about two hours later. He'd sacrificed two of his Wizard Cards to Lucy because she actually had a collection to complete. Harry said he really only wanted the first one he'd gotten: Dumbledore. "Who wants to go get more? I'll pay," he added, realizing that Ron wouldn't want to spend his own money on that.

"I'll get it," Ron and Lucy said at the same time. She perked up slightly at this new prospect of getting a chance to talk with just Ron.

"C'mon, we'll both go," Ron said, standing up. He draped an arm around her shoulder in a brotherly way. It took them a while to find the witch with the food trolley. They had gone up and down the train several times before realizing she was in a compartment of her own. Lucy paid for the Frogs, having her own small bundle of pocket money saved up. On their way back, she finally got the confidence to ask Ron what had happened.

"So," she started, trying to be casual. Finding this out seemed very important to her. "Where did you three go that night at the World Cup? We thought you'd gotten lost." She tried playing the concerned friend card. Ron shrugged.

"Why?" He gave her a curious look. It was Lucy's turn to shrug.

"I'm just wondering. Something happened that night. I wondered if you knew what it was." She looked at him innocently.

"Harry should tell you about –" Ron began.

"No! He won't! And I think I have a right to know, whoever tells me!" Lucy interrupted. They both stopped walking. "I need to know what happened to you guys. Something dangerous has to have happened and if Harry's in any more trouble, I deserve to know." She said pointedly. Ron sighed. He seemed to be fighting with himself whether or not to stop Lucy from worrying or to keep his word to Harry about not telling. "Please, Ron, he's my only family left. If there's a chance I'll lose him, I want to know now. I don't want to wait till he's gone to find out." Ron avoided her gaze. When he finally looked at her, he saw the look in her eyes. She wasn't just asking anymore; she was pleading. The green eyes shined with fear and desire for information.

"Fine, fine, fine," Ron walked a few feet away and opened a compartment door. "No one's in here, let's talk." Lucy followed him in. They sat opposite each other and Ron started from the beginning. Lucy let him talk; knowing that asking him questions would only prolong the ending of the story. He explained the Dark Mark and how they'd run into Malfoy along the way. He told her about Winky the house-elf having Harry's wand and how they'd all heard someone in the bushes. When he was done, he looked sheepishly up at her.

"You'd better promise to not let on that you know this to Harry." He warned. Lucy nodded vigorously.

"I promise." They sat in silence for a few seconds. "Thank you." Lucy said. She meant it too. "You're the only person who ever tells me anything. Harry's too proud to say it and Hermione's too hell-bent on letting him be the brother."

"Don't say 'hell'," Ron muttered. Lucy smirked. "And Harry probably won't tell you anything for a while. I'm almost positive that there are things _I_ don't even know. Don't let it bother you." Lucy nodded and stood up, assuming that she was readily informed now. They walked back to their original compartment, the Chocolate Frog's melted slightly and Lucy's mood improved dramatically. Now she had an ally in all the secrets.


End file.
